Monday, August 4, 2025

4th AT LEWES

We went to Lewes, Delaware for the 4th of July and visited with Brian and his family. Brady was there with his family (picture above  Brady, Irina and Ksenia in front of Brian's house) and Chase was up with his girlfriend from Georgia.  Brian and Dorothy had a house full with their children and grandchild, so Brian put us up at the Home 2 suite for two nights.  It was only a few miles from their home. We were glad  Hershey Thousand Trails gave us permission to leave the RV unattended overnight so we could come and stay for two days. 
Three generations of Mathias. Brady Larry, Chase and Brian.

 Spouses and girlfriend. Elizabeth, Irina, Dottie and Dorothy. Ksenia on  "Aunt" Elizabeth's lap.

 
Brian and Dorothy took us out in their pontoon boat. We stopped by sandbars so we could enjoy being in the water and socializing with many other boaters who anchored nearby.
Chase and Brady.
Elizabeth and Dorothy.
Irina and Ksenia digging for crabs on the sandbar.
This poor horseshoe crab was so covered with barnacles. Irina and Brady tried to help remove some to save him. Not sure it worked.
In the evening we went out on the bay again. We watched the sunset and then the fireworks from Dewey Beach. It was a different experience watching from the water in the boat with family. It was a nice visit.

Sunday, August 3, 2025

2025 PA VISIT

We left Florida on May 30. I bravely drove half of the way and Larry the rest. He drove around Washington DC and Baltimore on Sunday June 1st. We stopped at Circle M for the night and then went to Muddy Run Campground for a week.
Deer welcomed us to Muddy Run, right behind our site.


Mystique and her family were tent camping for 4 days at a site up the hill from where our site was. 
We enjoyed cookouts together. Eric making steaks on the grill.
Sitting around the fire telling stories.

and roasting marsh mellows. 
We biked to the splash pad with Hunter, Ashtyn, and Averie.



Hunter holding down the water.
Alivia and Averie getting soaked.
Eric playing with the kids. They had four nice warm sunny days and after they left it rained. It was fun camping with them.

Besides deer we saw rabbits
and robins. I miss seeing them in Florida. 
After Muddy Run we camped for three weeks at Circle M. Lynda came and visited and we celebrated her 79th birthday. The next week  I went to her house and stayed overnight.
  Larry and I went to Bob's and Felicia's house in Birdsboro. It was the first we had been there. It is nice and I forgot to take any pictures, so sorry. 
Fellow 3rd and 4th grade teachers from my days at Octoara:  Avis, Susan, and Mary Alice. Every time I come up to Lancaster we try to get together for lunch. It is good keeping in touch. These are traveling women and they sure are enjoying retirement. 

After Circle M we went to Hershey Thousand Trails for 10 days before heading back to Florida.

Mystique and Eric playing with the kids at the pool at Hershey Thousand Trails.


 Hunter playing ball with us in the water.  It was another good visit with the grandchildren before we left.


We meet Larry's siblings for lunch one day.  Lyndon, Barbara, Larry and Trey.


With their spouses, Tom with Barb, Loretta with Trey and Larry and me. Lyndon had a woman he has been dating come and meet us but she had to get back to work before the picture was taken.
We left Hershey on Sunday July 13th. We stayed west avoiding Baltimore and took 70 to 270 and then 495 by Washington DC. The traffic wasn't bad until we got past Washington and then it was bumper to bumper and not moving. I took over the wheel.  In Virginia on 95 I had the worst rain storm to drive through. So I have now driven through traffic jams, several rain storms and construction. We arrived  home safely on Tuesday  afternoon, July 15. 


 

DINING ROOM SEATS

The seats to the chairs to our dining room were sagging. We tried sitting on cushions or pillows but they weren't working. We looked into buying new chairs but they wouldn't match and were pretty expensive.
We located a man that lived close by that redid furniture. We took the chairs to him and between us we came up with a solution. 

 Larry would reinforce the bottom of the seats  from the underside with wood, and he would make us sturdy seat cushions to fit the seat. We chose the material and color. They were a little pricy but the best solution.

 

He had the cushions made in two weeks and came to the house to put them on the chair. The finished product.
The foam he used is very strong and comfortable. 
The cushion snaps unto the chair.  They are much more comfortable to sit on now and hopefully will last us awhile.


PUZZLES FOR SALE

The second Saturday of each month Community of Faith has a Market Day. Many of the women in the church have jigsaw puzzles, so we donated our "extras " to sell at the Market Day in May.

The money raised went to United women in Faith mission projects.
There were many puzzles, and only sold a few.